


Rebel Fairies and Rogue Wizards

by WildeChild17



Category: Winx Club
Genre: Author Is Sleep Deprived, Duman is Chaotic Good with Dubious Morality
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:01:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23395198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WildeChild17/pseuds/WildeChild17
Summary: [Being Rewritten]Who knew a single choice, a single act, could change an entire story as how one knows it?In which Duman never joined the Black Circle to instead help raise his little sister. Said sister is now preparing to attend Alfea, and Duman just knows that he's going to have to stock up on some sort of painkillers to deal with the headaches heading his way.
Relationships: Anagan/OC, Brandon/Stella (Winx Club), Duman and OC, Duman/Roxy (Winx Club), Klaus/Morgana, Morgana and OC - Relationship, Ogron/OC, Roxy and OC
Comments: 8
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter One

“Rise and shine, alley cat! Your first day of college awaits!”

“ _Dioses, ¿por qué eres tan molesto?”_

“What was that?”

“Let me sleeeeep,”

There was an amused chuff of laugher, and suddenly, light filled the bedroom of one Nyx Esperanza Wilde, thanks to the young man who had yanked the blankets off her body.

“Duman,” Nyx whined, grabbing a pillow and shoving it over her head.

It too, was pulled away, and then a black cat with a pink fringe was padding along side her.

“Nope,” The cat spoke, tail swishing. “You’ve been excited for the entire summer about going to Alfea. You aren’t going to miss your first day just because you were up until three this morning.”

“Fuck you, I only got three hours of sleep!”

“And that’s my fault how?” The cat circled around her head and stared down at her. Nyx glared up at him, “I give it an hour before you’re back at normal energy levels.”

“Can’t I just… have an extra half hour?”

“You need breakfast, you need a shower, and you need to gather all your bags together,” Duman said, flatly, sitting down.

“I can do that in a half hour!”

“We both know that’s a lie,” Duman snorted, dainty for a cat. He looked down, and batted at a lock of Nyx’s unruly pink hair in a similar shade to his.

“Oi, oi, don’t you dare-“

Duman pounced, and Nyx was up like a cat dunked in ice water. The two golden eyed figures glared at each other- or, Nyx glared, and Duman’s tail just swished while he stared disdainfully at her.

Fucking cats.

“Alright, I’m up, you happy?” Nyx huffed, crossing her arms.

The cat stood and walked to the opposite side of the bed Nyx stood on. He leapt off, and before he hit the ground, Nyx’s brother had shifted and was standing with his hands on his hips and a smirk on his face.

“Twenty minutes to get downstairs, Nyxie Stix. I’m fixing up your favorite for breakfast,” Duman drawled. “And I know you’d hate to miss my world famous, fresh, home made tortillas.”

Nyx’s eyes widened, and then she was flying around the room, grabbing clothes, and then into her adjoining bathroom, “I’ll be down in ten!”

Duman chuckled and shook his head as the door slammed shut behind her. While he was amused at his little sister’s antics, he couldn’t deny the longing and anxiety that was coiled up in his chest, at the thought of Nyx leaving.

Not indefinitely, but for almost seven months. He would by no means be alone- he had his uncle Tobias and a few neighbors he could visit- but… he worried. Nyx was still so young, and he knew… he knew she forgot their… childhood.

At the very least, Duman tried to forget it himself, but he had been ten years Nyx’s senior when the had run away and then been on the run, at least until their uncle Tobias found them…

Duman shook his head of the negative thoughts threatening to take over. He could mull over the past at a later time.

Right now, it was time to look to the future.

* * *

It took exactly one hour for Nyx to get herself together and for Duman to finally herd her out the door. Nyx, as predicted, was full of nervous energy, but she was smiling and all but vibrating in excitement.

“Well then,” Duman mused, crossing his arms and eyeing the pretty pink gates of Alfea College of Fairies just a bit disdainfully. “I guess this is it.”

Nyx adjusted her messenger bag, nearly bouncing in place. Her eyes were wide and wine red lips curled up into a smile.

“I’m here…” She breathed, “I’m actually here. This is… this is everything I’ve dreamed of, Duman! I can’t believe I’m actually here!”

“Yeah well, believe it,” Duman muttered. “You’ve worked hard enough to get where you are.”

Apparently, he didn’t hide his own nervousness as well as he had thought, as Nyx turned to give him a look.

“Hey,” Nyx said, and she poked his bicep. “I’ll be fine. You’ll be fine! You know you can call me whenever, and I’ll be home on breaks. Honestly, this will pass far faster than you realize.”

“Forgive me for worrying,” Duman’s voice was flat, and he sighed. He ran a hand through his mohawk, concern in his eyes.

“I know damn well that if anything happens to me you’ll be storming the headmistress’s office and raising hell,” Nyx rolled her eyes, and flicked a stray hair out of his face. “But come on. I’m _eighteen._ I can handle myself.”

“I know that,” Duman snapped. “But you’re my sister. I’m entitled to worry.”

“Yes, you are, but not be a mother hen,”

“I think that’s Tobias’ job, actually,”

“You must have picked it up from him because you do it quite well,”

“I do _not_ -“

Whatever Duman was going to follow up with, was cut off as he stumbled when someone bumped into him.

“Oof!” Duman grunted, his instincts and reflexes managing to keep him on his feet and to catch the girl that had ran into him from falling.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I wasn’t looking at where I was going, I didn’t hurt you di… did I…” The girl trailed off, violet eyes wide as she looked up Duman. “Uh.”

“No, I’m fine,” Duman assured her, brushing off imaginary dirt from his jacket. “Are you alright?”

“I… fine,” The girl squeaked.

Duman raised an eyebrow, and turned his attention to Nyx when she began to snicker. As a result, the new girl’s eyes were drawn to Nyx as well, and she went red faster than Nyx could blink.

“Hello there, pixie,” Nyx drawled, and began to twirl a strand of her wild, shoulder length hair around a finger, eyes half lidded. “You’re a pretty little thing… this your first year at Alfea?”

“Y-yes,” The girl stuttered. “I, uh, I think- um. Maybe I should-“

“My name’s Nyx,” Nyx stuck her hand out, still smiling in that sultry way of hers. Duman sighed and shook his head, barely resisting the urge to facepalm, “And you are…?”

“R… Roxanne,” The fairy squeaked.

“Roxanne,” Nyx drawled, and tilted her head. “Now that’s a name that just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?”

Roxanne made a strangled noise in the back of her throat, and, abruptly, found her voice.

“W- well, nice meeting you Nyx, but I gotta go!” Roxanne said, waving as she gathered her bags back together, “And, uh, sir, sorry for running into you again, bye!”

Nyx grinned, wolfish, as she watched Roxanne run off, disappearing among the crowd of students. Behind her, Duman finally gave into his urge and facepalmed, sighing and muttering under his breath in their native tongue.

“Nyx, make friends, don’t scare everyone here,” Duman reprimanded his sister, voice muffled thanks to his hand.

“Oh, don’t act like that wasn’t amusing,” Nyx waved a hand, golden eyes glittering.

“Maybe it was, but I think you nearly gave her a heart attack,” Duman sighed, dropping his hand. “You want me to walk in with you.”

“ _No_ ,” Was Nyx’s instant and firm reply. “We had a deal, you could see me to the gates but that’s it.”

Duman shrugged, “Eh, worth a try.”

Nyx rolled her eyes. She was doing that a lot today. She stepped up close, and hugged her brother, “I promise I’ll call you when I get the first chance to.”

“I’m holding you to that,” Duman said, firmly, as he returned the hug. Once Nyx stepped back to gather her bags, he smirked, “Now, why don’t you go knock Alfea for a loop and show ‘em how the Wilde family does things?”

Nyx met his smirk with one of her own, “I fully intend to, brother of mine.”

With her head held high, and her back straight, Nyx turned and made her first steps into her oncoming future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> *Gods, why are you so annoying?


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nyx and Duman both have different opinions on how Nyx's stay at Alfea will go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After seven months... I'm back with a new chapter. Sorry for the wait!

“Now, now, why do you look so sad, pretty kitty?”

Duman instinctively grabbed the mixer tighter, right as a red and yellow blur hip checked him and sent him stumbling a few steps to the side.

Kaliyah Storm, Duman’s coworker, pouted, “Damn. Thought I had the upper hand on you that time.”

“You wish,” Duman deadpanned, as he went back to work mixing together the orders he had waiting. “You’re wearing heels tonight.”

Both Duman and Kaliyah glanced down at her feet. With a smirk, she clicked her heels together and strutted over, “So.”

“So.”

“What’s with the long face, pup?”

Duman rolled his eyes, “What makes you think anything’s wrong?”

“Well, for one, you aren’t interacting with the customers like you normally do,” Kaliyah began to tick off her fingers. “Normally, you’re carrying on five different conversations here at the bar. Second, you have yet to call me by any name other than my own today. Third, I swear your own mohawk is drooping. And four… you keep checking your phone every other minute.”

Duman, halfway to picking up his phone off the counter, froze, then threw it back down and glared over at the redhead, “Can you stop that?”

“No,” Kaliyah put her hands on her hips and cocked an eyebrow. “Come on, kit-kat, what’s the dealio?”

Duman sighed, and put the finishing touches on the drinks. He began to stack them on the tray he had set aside earlier, “Yesterday was Nyx’s first day at Alfea.”

“Ah,” Kaliyah’s expression softened. “Empty nest syndrome.”

“What?” Duman startled, “What- No. That’s not- I’m just worried about her!”

Kaliyah just raised another eyebrow, clearly disbelieving, “Uh huh.”

Duman growled at her, and began to stack the drinks on a tray, “Oh, go do your job and deliver these drinks, you witch.”

Kaliyah laughed, as she scooped up the tray, “You love me, tweety! And don’t think you avoid the subject forever!”

“Watch me,” Duman muttered, spitefully, as Kaliyah walked off to deliver the drinks. He snatched up a towel and began to clean some of the glasses lining the counter.

A chuckle soon caught his attention, and his eyes flickered down the length of the bar, to a woman who sat with her hand curled loosely around a glass, set just under chin. Her lavender eyes were bright with mischief and amusement, as she swirled the ice and amber liquid in her glass.

“Empty nest syndrome isn’t as bad as you think, Duman,” The woman said, ruby lips quirked up in a half smile. “My mom was relieved when my younger sister finally went off to college.”

Duman snorted, and wandered closer, “Yeah, well, Cloe, your family is a bit different than mine.”

“Not so different,” Cloe mused, and took a sip of her drink. “We both come from royalty. We’re both basically disowned in the views of at least one parent.” She took another sip, “As the older siblings, we both try to look out for the younger in our own ways.”

“How’s that working out for you?” Duman asked, “Didn’t Stella just save a whole race from being wiped out?”

“Hm. Rumors are, magic is coming back to Earth after centuries of disbelief,” Cloe’s lips quirked. “Stella was all too happy to regale me with her tales.”

“I can imagine. How many times did you nearly keel over from fright?”

“Who says that anything she says or does anymore manages to surprise me?”

“Fair enough. Blondie’s dramatic,” Duman shrugged.

Cloe finished off her drink, and set the glass on the wooden countertop. She raised an eyebrow, and Duman rolled his eyes. At Cloe’s silent request, though, he picked up a nearby bottle of scotch and topped off her glass. Cloe smirked at him, and took a sip, eyes falling shut for a moment as she savored the taste.

“Stella’s back at Alfea, this year,” Cloe said. “Part time teaching assistant, as well as learning about the magic that comes with her and her friends’ new transformation.”

“Yeah? What new pastel looks did they come back with?” Duman leaned on the opposite side of the bar, arms crossed.

“Believix. Before Stella came back, I’d never heard of it,” Cloe hummed. “And five sub transformations.”

“ _Five_?”

“Tracix, Speedix, Zoomix, Sophix, and Lovix. Sophix is nature based, Lovix is ice based, Tracix allows a glimpse into the past, Zoomix allows for teleportation, and Speedix gives them a speed boost. That’s what I got out of Stel’s explanation, at least.”

“How do fairies manage to even keep up with all these transformations?” Duman sighed, “Just keeping track of their names alone is enough to cause a headache.”

Cloe’s face split into a full grin, “Better stock up on painkillers then, Duman. Nyx is at Alfea now, and who knows what chaos she’s going to cause?”

* * *

Nyx absolutely _loved_ Alfea.

Sure, it had only been the first two days, and Nyx was still unpacking and settling in, but the few professors she had met- Headmistress Faragonda and Head of Discipline Griselda- seemed nice. So did her dormmates… for the most part. The first introductions had been a bit of a roller coaster.

The girl that had run into Nyx and Duman on the first day had gone red with embarrassment when she saw Nyx was one of her dormmates. Nyx couldn’t stop herself from mildly flirting with her, before she laughed it off and formally introduced herself.

“I’m Nyx Wilde,” Nyx smiled, as she shook the other fairy’s hand.

“Roxanne Hunter, but, like I said earlier, everyone calls me Roxy,” Roxy replied, with a slight pink tinge to her cheeks. She glanced around the dorm, “So, uh, you know which room we’ll be in, or if our other dormmates are here yet?”

As if on cue, the dorm door opened, and two girls walked through. Roxy and Nyx watched them, until the two newcomers realized they weren’t alone.

“Oh, hello!” The redhead of the two girls exclaimed, and waved with a bright smile, “Sorry we didn’t see ya there! Are ya’ll are dormmates?”

Roxy looked amused. Nyx just blinked.

“Yeah!” Roxy beamed, “I’m Roxy, and this is Nyx!”

“Oh, well nice to meet ya!” The redhead held her hand out, “I’m Persephone, but ya’ll can call me Seph, if that’s too long for ya. This here fairy is my cousin, Coral.”

Roxy shook Persephone’s hand, and then Coral’s as well.

“According to the dorm list, I believe Nyx is my new dormmate,” Persephone held her hand out to the fairy. “Though, it won’t last long, I’m afraid. This is my last here at Alfea.”

“You’re a senior?” Nyx asked, shaking Persephone’s hand.

She did not expect Persephone to suddenly go stock still and her eyes flash white. When she tried to pull away, Persephone’s grip was like a vice, “Hey-!”

“Seph!” Coral exclaimed, turning away from where she and Roxy were speaking, “Sweet Arcadia-“ She whipped her head around to glare at Nyx, pink and blue hair flying, “What did you do to her?!”

“I didn’t do nothing!” Nyx snapped back, and managed to finally jerk her hand away, “She’s the one that-“ She gestured wildly to the redhead, “Did that!”

Persephone blinked, the white glow in her eyes fading. She stumbled back a few steps, and shook her head, “Oof.”

“Seph- Seph are you okay? Talk to me!” Coral exclaimed, frantic. She fussed over the other girl, but was waved off.

“I’m fine. You know how I get when meetin’ new people, sometimes. It’s just my powers,” Persephone waved a hand and straightened. She gave Nyx a wan smile, “Sorry for the scare.”

“What… was that?” Roxy asked, coming closer. Her eyes were wide, “You… said that was your powers?”

“Ah, yes!” Persephone’s smile turned a bit bitter, “Fairy of Sight and Prophecy, at your service.”

Nyx felt a cold chill go down her spine, “You’re from Mystic.”

Persephone’s royal blue eyes snapped to Nyx, “Yes, actually. How did you-“

“Mystic is named for it’s… mystical beings,” Nyx swallowed. “And the power it produces. In terms of how powerful some of the creatures that come from Mystic, the only ones that could compare are inhabitants of Domino.”

“Or Merula,” Persephone said, meaningfully. The chill raced back up Nyx’s spine, but it vanished just as quickly as Persephone smiled, “Let’s forget all this, huh? We need to get you two settled in! Coral, you’re with Roxy, right?”

Coral, still eyeing Nyx warily, glanced over at her cousin, “Hm? Oh! Yeah.” She turned to Roxy, “I’m only a sophomore here, so I don’t have the experience Seph here has, but I can show you around and help if you need it.”

Roxy nodded, smiling gratefully, “Considering I knew nothing about magic up until a few months ago, any help will be appreciated.”

And just like that, any thought of what had happened between Nyx and Persephone had been forgotten, as the other three girls promptly demanded answers on just what in Oblivion Roxy had meant by _that._

Now, though, as Nyx was packing away a few books and albums on to the three-tier bookshelf beside her bed, she couldn’t help but reflect on the last twenty-four hours.

Persephone’s little display of magic still left Nyx a little unsettled. A fairy with the power to see the past, present, or future, who was also the heir to the throne of a kingdom that was known for it’s mental and emotional magic, who had also managed to See something just on first contact? Nyx wasn’t sure if she was wary or curious about what Persephone had Seen, and frankly, she was too scared to ask. Surely, if it was something important, Persephone would say something, right? She seemed nice and honest enough, if a bit cryptic. Nyx could understand that, especially when it came to the matters of Seeing into someone’s personal life.

Coral, unlike Persephone, was a bit more closed off and guarded around new people. The first introduction Nyx had with the girl’s cousin didn’t help what Coral thought of her, either. Coral turned out to be a fairy of Truth, yet another unsettling power from Mystic. She could sense when people were lying or telling the truth, and in turn, it was hard to tell when she was being truthful, or so she said.

Roxy, on the other hand, wasn’t too hard to read. She was a fairy of animals, the princess of Earth, a planet that had long since thought to have no magic. She was an Earth fairy, and she’d already had learned- brutally, if you asked Nyx- the ins and outs of the good and evil in the universe. A group of wizards that had attempted mass genocide? Nyx wasn’t sure weather to respect them or fear them. Thankfully, they were sealed away in Omega, never to bother anyone again. If what Roxy had told her new dormmates was true, Nyx had didn’t want to be on the bad side of one of them, let alone all three.

Nyx was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn’t hear the door open, and jumped about a foot in the air when a hand landed on her shoulder. She stood up quickly, whirling around. Her magic flared to life, red sparks flying from her fingers, only to stop short when she realized who had snuck up on her.

“Sorry, sorry, hon!” Persephone exclaimed, stepping back with her hands in the air. She grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head, “Guess I shoulda knocked. Didn’t mean to scare ya.”

Nyx brushed it off with a laugh, “It’s no big deal. I was thinking too hard. My brother likes to say I get caught up in my head too often for my own good.”

“I understand that. My mom says the same thing about dad,” Persephone shrugged.

Silence passed between the two fairies.

“Did… you need something?” Nyx finally asked.

“Oh! Yeah, I was going to ask, if you’d like to come down to lunch with Coral, Roxy, and I? I figured you could use a break from unpacking,” Persephone offered.

Nyx thought for a second, “You know what? Food sounds good right now.”

Persephone beamed, “Wonderful. C’mon, the others are waiting outside. If we hurry, we can beat the rush.”

As Nyx followed her roommate, she thought that she would settle in quite nicely her


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Villains show up and Duman has a mild crisis.

Merula was known for several things: its mines of gold and rubies, the jaquins that soared through the ever red skies, the arcanists and mages that came from within the planet’s academies… But there were things that Merula was not known for. Things that had been lost to time or forgotten in history.

Such as the legend of Typhon and Eris.

One of Merula’s first rulers, Typhon was a wizard who had climbed his way through the twelfth king’s ranks, eventually securing his position as second in command to King Montezuma. He was a powerful Arcanist with the magic of illusions and mental manipulation. When King Montezuma had eventually died under mysterious circumstances, Typhon had become the thirteenth king of Merula.

Typhon’s true colors showed themselves not long after. He enslaved his own people, and any person that present as any magical being other than an Arcanist was executed. The Aracanists, he spelled and forced them to be in his own personal army.

At least, according to legend, until he met Eris, a young woman of breathtaking beauty. She was a witch, with the ability to control Merula’s signature element, chaos. Instead of having her killed, Typhon took her as his queen, showering her in gifts and luxuries she’d never known before.

But Eris was a crafty witch. She played right into her lover’s affections, letting him dote and fawn over her, all while she spun her own web behind his back. See, she had a secret of her own: She was King Montezuma’s secret daughter, hidden away after conception in the fear that someone may try to one day use her against her father. She was to stay hidden until she was of age to take the crown.

Then, Typhon had come and snatched the birthright that was rightfully hers. Instead of challenging him for the crown- a fool’s errand- she put herself in Typhon’s sight and drew him in her own carefully laid trap.

And like any fool in love, he fell for it.

With the help of some Arcanists that had gone into hiding, Eris managed to overthrow the tyrant, and the wizard was sealed away behind the Gates of Discord. Typhon vowed to get his revenge, when the next witch or fairy presented herself as the bearer of Merula’s element, he would return to make her his queen and take the throne again. 

Eris promised, that in her lifetime, it wouldn’t happen. That Typhon’s story would not be forgotten and that the people of Merula would know the tale of what happened after King Montezuma’s death.

But, as always, time passes, and stories are forgotten, or altered and shifted until one doesn’t know fact from fiction. The tale of Typhon was no different, as the people of Merula, in an attempt to forget the dark spot in their history that was Typhon’s reign, erased all existence of him. Eventually, Typhon was nothing more than a name to Merula, one that held no significant meaning.

Eventually though, the past returns to catch up with a person. And in this case, it would come back for a whole kingdom.

* * *

Duman walked into his home with a soft hum. He flicked on the hallway light and then paused.

Someone was here, with him. He could hear their heartbeat.

Quietly, Duman shut the door behind him and set his keys down on the table beside the door. He shed his jacket and hung it on the coatrack, before moving soundlessly toward the living room, where the heartbeat was coming from. Coming closer to the door, he saw that a single light was on.

He stepped into doorway, on the defensive, only to pause and then relax when he saw who was sitting in one of the armchairs, “Uncle Tobi. What are you doing here?”

“Hey, kiddo,” Tobias Wilde yawned, elbow settled on the arm of the chair and cheek perched on his fist. Dangling over the other arm of the chair, a glass of amber liquid hung loosely in his hand, “How’s life?”

“Fine, I guess,” Duman leaned against the door, crossing his arms. “You could have called, you know. I was ready to claw a burglar’s face off.”

“Hm,” Tobias didn’t sound very worried. He lifted the glass to his lips and took a swallow, “You paid attention to the news recently?”

“Been busy,” Duman admitted. “Nyx started Alfea on Monday, and the bar’s been packed with college kids this week.”

“Typhon broke out,” Tobias said.

It was like ice water had been dumped on Duman. His blood went cold and he inhaled sharply, eyes going wide. When he managed to find his voice, it was barely above a whisper when he spoke, “ _What_? _How_? _When_?”

“Last night,” Tobias finished off his drink. “It’s being kept quiet by Variel-“ Duman’s expression shifted into a sneer, “-But I got my sources. Word reached me this morning. The bastard killed thirty guards and injured another dozen. Not to say what the psychological damage could be, once they can be seen.”

Duman swallowed, and took a deep breath, before letting it out slowly, “I’ve got to tell Nyx.”

“No,”

“What? Why not?”

“He’s been locked away for the better part of three centuries, kid,” Tobias stood up, setting the glass on the end table beside the chair. “He’s weak.”

“All the more reason to tell Nyx! If he comes after her, then at least she’ll know she stands a chance!”

“He’ll be searching for allies,” Tobias finished his statement. Duman fell quiet, hesitating, “It’s better to let that happen and know what we’re up against, instead of diving headfirst into a fight with a wizard who has more tricks than we know up his sleeve.”

“So what do you suggest?” Duman asked, quietly.

“You know anyone who you can trust with telling them about Typhon?”

“A few,”

“Good. As much as I hate to tell you this, we need to get them involved. We’ll need the numbers to Typhon’s cunning. Not to mention, we have no idea who he’ll bring into his side of things,” Tobias walked across the living room, coming to a stop in front of his nephew. He pat the younger shapeshifter’s shoulder, “Chin up, kid. We know what Typhon’s capable of.”

“Yeah,” Duman said, bitterly. “But what good does that do us if we don’t know what he’ll _do_?”

* * *

“So, talk to me. What was it you saw in little miss chaos queen’s head the other day,” Coral sat down across from her cousin, lunch tray clattering on the table as she did.

Persephone looked up from her book, blinking at the other fairy, “What?”

“When you shook Nyx’s hand?” Coral raised an eyebrow, “On move in day? You went all glow-y eyed? Did you forget that?”

“Oh. No,”

“No?”

“No,”

“No as in you didn’t forget, or no as in you won’t tell me?”

Persephone didn’t answer, focusing back on her book. Coral felt her temper flare, “Dammit, Seph! Talk to me! I can’t help if you won’t tell me!”

“I saw Nyx’s past and future. We have to wait for her to come to us,”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“For one, it’ll be Nyx’s story to tell, not mine,” Persephone said, coolly. “For two, you should consider playing a bit nicer with her.”

“What are you talking about? I play nice with her!”

Persephone snorted, “Oh, yes, because glaring at her like you kill develop pyrokinesis and giving her the cold shoulder is playing nice. Not to mention how you ignore her very presence. All because of the fact I had a vision, which we both know I can’t control when those happen, when I shook her hand. Yes, Coral, that’s playing nice.”

“Well maybe if you told me what you saw, I might consider it,” Coral growled.

“Again, no,” Persephone snapped her book closed and stood up, glaring. “And don’t ask again.”

Turning on her heel, Persephone stalked out of the cafeteria, leaving Coral to watch her go. With a curse, Coral turned her attention to her food, and decided that explanations could wait till a later time.

* * *

The Omega Dimension was a winter wasteland of ice and snow. Ice serpents and other beasts lurked in the shadows, always keeping an eye on the prisoners that were dropped to serve their sentence.

Though they had nothing on those that new the secret routes and out of the icy prison. Passages that had been lost to time or forgotten as the creators of the Omega prison died out. Many had collapsed with age, some had been found and sealed off, and then there were ones that were still of use.

And use them Typhon did. He had to go deeper than he expected to find who he wanted, but he did find them.

_Spelled ice, created and used to keep a person in a suspended state of limbo for eternity,_ he mused, as he found the three blocks he was looking for. _Genius, really. To exist without existing. Trapped in one’s own mind and unable to do anything about it. Can drive a person to the brink of insanity, if the time trapped is long enough._

It’d barely been five months since these wizards had been sealed away. Hopefully, they would still be mentally intact, and would agree to Typhon’s deal.

With a deep breath, Typhon held his hands out and began to chant. Transparent symbols appeared around him, glowing a bright purple color. The chamber dropped further in temperature than it already was, the ground trembling beneath the wizard’s feet, before with a final shout, Typhon finished the spell. He threw up a shield as the ice exploded, landing on the floor and dissolving into water.

"Hm," the dark haired man mused. "I was unsure if that would really work." He raised an eyebrow and simply stepped to the side when a ball of magical energy soared through the air towards him, "Oh, come now, gentlemen. Would you really attack the one who just freed you from this icy hell?"

Ogron's hand clamped down on Gantlos' wrist, forcing the blonde to lower his outstretched arm, "Stand down, Gantlos." His eyes flickered back to the man in the entry way of the cavern, "... Many thanks, fellow wizard. But such an act could not be from the kindness of your heart."

On the other side of Ogron, Anagan cracked his neck and stretched his arms out, before brushing ice shards off the shoulders of his jacket. The whole time, he kept dark eyes on the fourth wizard in the room, oddly silent.

"You are correct, Ogron," the man smiled, sharp teeth glittering in the blue light of the cavern. "My name is Typhon, and I freed you, because I require you and your friend's assistance in a task I can not hope to do with my own powers."

Ogron's eyes narrowed. Gantlos and Anagan exchanged a look, before looking at Ogron, then back at Typhon.

"... What's in it for us, if we agree?" Ogron finally questioned.

"If you help me, I'll help you," Typhon smirked. "The Earth fairies, while they and magic have returned to Earth, are still weak. You help me, I can restore your powers back to their peak, so that you could defeat them once and for all."

Ogron's hand twitched. The bait had been laid and the prey was circling it. He looked uncertain, though, and Typhon wondered why.

“What… exactly, would you wish for us to do?” Ogron asked, slowly.

Typhon met his eyes, his own brown glowing red, “Help me acquire the position that is rightfully mine. The throne of Merula holds a powerful influence over the rest of the Magic Dimension. You help me get that, and I help you destroy the Earth fairies.”

Ogron met Typhon’s gaze, and with an internal smirk and a silent spell, Typhon entered Ogron’s mind. He was curious, as to what it was that had Ogron hesitating.

He was met with resistance, as expected, but he pushed through, not bothering to hide his presence in the man’s mind as he did. What he found was unexpected, the redheaded leader of the Black Circle having secrets that very few seemed to know about.

Scenes of a young witch with black hair met Typhon as he pushed on, and as the years flew by in fast forward, Typhon watched the dates play out, watched the proposal, and the wedding all happen. He saw the heartbreak on the witch’s face when Ogron told her he was going to finish his mission in erasing magic on Earth, saw how she tried to stop him, only to fail. Then, during the time on Earth, he felt Ogron’s sense of guilt grow, the longer he spent away from his beloved. Typhon watched as Gantlos tried to talk sense into Ogron as the redhead formed the plan to use the ring of the Black Circle on Morgana, to try and appeal to him through his wife, but failed.

The last thought Ogron had had before he and his companions were sealed away in their icy prison, was of Cloe Ross, princess and former heir to the crown of Solaria.

Typhon pulled himself out of Ogron’s mind, watching in mild interest as Ogron stumbled backwards, gasping and gripping his head. Both Gantlos and Anagan lunged for him before he could buckle and collapse.

“New offer, Ogron,” Typhon said, coldly. “You do what I ask, and I don’t go after your wife.”

Gantlos’ head snapped around to glare at Typhon, and Anagan nearly dropped his grip on Ogron in shock.

“And if I say no,” It was a question, but Ogron phrased it as a statement, teeth grinding as he pulled himself into some semblance of intimidating.

Typhon was not impressed.

“Then we do this the hard way,” Typhon raised an eyebrow. “Your choice. Trust me, though, when I say, the hard way is not the painless way.”

Ogron and Typhon stared each other down. In the process, Ogron didn’t notice Anagan and Gantlos exchange looks, or how Gantlos shook his head, only for Anagan to roll his eyes and abruptly charge full speed at Typhon.

Typhon noticed though. Over Ogron and Gantlos both yelling at Anagan, Typhon sidestepped the speedster, and reached out to grab the man by the arm as he came within grabbing range. He yanked the man around, using the younger wizard’s momentum to propel him face first into the ground, hard. Then, before he could get away, Typhon locked his hand around the back of his neck and murmured a spell. A faint purple glow surrounded Anagan, and Typhon straightened and stepped away as Anagan climbed to his feet.

His eyes were solid black, now, and his expression blank.

“Now gentlemen,” Typhon turned to an alarmed looking Gantlos and Ogron. “It’s _your_ turn.”


	4. Chapter Four

_Some days, Cloe Ross sincerely hated who she was born as._

The eldest daughter of Solarian royal family wasn’t an issue, growing up. No, it wasn’t until she was twelve, and when her magic came in, that the problems started. When she presented as a witch, things began to change for her in more ways than one—her father grew distant from her, while her mother only grew closer to her. She started her magic training far earlier than she should, learning control and discipline that Cloe knew most girls her age didn’t have to go through. It wasn’t until her mother became pregnant, another princess for the Solarian people, was Cloe told why there was so much work put on her shoulders.

The supposed myths of Solaria’s “Army of Night” wasn’t as much of a myth as Cloe had once assumed. But things had been lost to time, for the common folk of Solaria, but the royals never forgot. How once, after millennia had passed, that a witch would be born to the royal family with the right powers, would be the one to free the Army of Night and become the next Dark Queen of Solaria, to plunge the Bright planet into eternal darkness…

 _Some days, Cloe Ross cursed her luck to be the one to fit all the criteria for the prophecy._ She knew, throughout history, that other witches had been born to fit the prophecy, and that they had lived their lives without turning evil, but it still didn’t make how her own people treated her fair.

But Cloe had been trained not to take chances. Her magic was powerful, her teachers had said in hushed whispers. She drew her magic from the very night itself and the darkness in every corner—so long as there were shadows, she level her opponents with a snap of her fingers. As she grew, her magic grew—she could draw her magic from the moons and stars and the night sky, travel through the shadows, manipulate them to bind her enemies, and even walk through people’s dreams, turn them into nightmares and vice versa.

Cloe had grown up with her father looking at her in disgust, the staff of the palace looking at her in fear, and her teachers being critical of her every move. The only person who would treat her like an actual person was her mother, and Cloe would always love and respect her for that, for Queen Luna being a mother and not just another adult in her life.

It was the birth of her sister, Stella, that had changed a lot for Cloe. She had no illusions that her father was probably going to have her sister be the next ruler of Solaria, despite Cloe being the eldest, and she was honestly fine with that. But Cloe wouldn’t let her sister take all the attention of Radius—she threw herself into her magic studies and promised herself that unless absolutely necessary, she would never use her magic. She had pristine control over it now, as an adult, and she relied more on her potions and magical knowledge than her actual magic.

But that didn’t mean that sometimes, her magic didn’t call to her. Weather to use as self-defense, or to use to prevent disasters from happening on stage or making potions or, in the case that Cloe currently sensed, when someone was in distress and reaching out through the dream world. Most times, she could ignore it, but sometimes, there were instances where Cloe knew just who was calling out to her.

In this case, Cloe recognized the underlying magical signature of the one reaching out, one of the few people in her life who could reach out to her. There was distress in the magic, intertwined with the desperation to be heard, and for the first time in a long time, Cloe listened, and when she went to bed that night, she made the connection.

* * *

When Cloe opened her eyes, she felt her eyebrow twitch.

“You gotta be fucking kidding me,” Cloe crossed her arms and glared at the trio in front of her. “How in the name of Omega did you manage to get all three of yourselves in the same dreamscape? That’s my area of expertise, Arcadia damn it.”

Truly, it was, but somehow, the three members of the Black Circle had managed to conjure up a convergence scene of a forest, and Cloe was standing in the middle of a clearing. The moon hung in the sky above them, and the stars twinkled overhead.

“Cloe, listen, please, we don’t have much time—” Anagan Filasi began, holding his hands up in a placating manner.

“Oh, bull,” Cloe snorted. “You three are ice blocks in Omega, aren’t you? We have all the time in the world. What’s happened, you three finally get lonely or go crazy from being in limbo?”

“Cloe,” Gantlos tried, stepping forward, but Cloe brushed him off and stepped up into her redheaded husband’s personal space, her anger flaring.

“You have a damn lot to answer for, Ogron!” Cloe hissed, voice full of contempt and venom, “How could you! You promised me you’d come back to me! Do you have any idea how worried I was for you?! And then I hear from my sister of all people that you got frozen solid in Omega!”

“Cloe!” Ogron reached out and grabbed her shoulders, stopping her in her tracks, “We’ve been busted out of Omega—”

“Oh, well good for you. Couldn’t even be bothered to visit, could you?” Cloe jerked out of her husband’s grasp and turned her back on him. She closed her eyes and crossed her arms tighter over her chest.

“We’re being mind controlled to do his bidding, Cloe,” Gantlos said, and Cloe’s eyes flew open at that. She turned on the blonde, “He broke us out, tried to simply make a deal, but Ogron wasn’t going for it. This wizard—”

“Typhon, is his name, if you’re interested!” Anagan commented, sarcastic.

“Yes, Typhon,” Gantlos continued, sounding mildly annoyed at being interrupted. “His magic apparently lies in mental magic of some sort. He got in Ogron’s head, saw what you meant to him, and that we weren’t going for his deal.”

“Whatever he did, it brought me to my knees,” Ogron admitted, sounding like he was forcing the words out. Probably was—Ogron wasn’t too keen on admitting weaknesses.

“And before I could stop him, Anagan charged the bastard and got put under his spell,” Gantlos glared over at Anagan.

“What?” Anagan shrugged, arms crossed, “He attacked Ogron, Cloe would have clocked him first and begged for forgiveness later!”

“… So if you’re under his control, how are you three able to summon me here? And somehow combine your magic to create this,” Cloe gestured to the dreamscape around them. “Dream?”

“Because right now, he’s only strong enough to control us, while we’re well aware of everything he’s doing with our bodies,” Gantlos answered, scowling. “But his magic is growing—he’ll be able to get in our minds and prevent us from doing this, soon.”

Cloe turned away, eyes on the ground and a frown on her face, “This wizard… you said his name was Typhon?”

“Yeah, that’s how he greeted us, anyways,” Anagan nodded.

“… He’s the wizard that recently broke out of Merula, isn’t he?” Cloe asked.

“How did you know that?” Ogron sighed.

“He’s after the crowned princess of Merula, too, right?”

“How did you know _that_?”

“Has he gone after the King or Queen yet?”

“… King, yes, Queen, no. Actually, we’re pretty sure she’s in league with him,” Ogron shrugged. He stared at Cloe, eyes narrowed, before he spoke again, “You know something, don’t you?”

“It’s probably best if I don’t tell you,” Cloe chewed on her lower lip. “Just in case Typhon somehow shifts through your memories and this shows up. But… I know a few things that you guys and he probably doesn’t.” She turned back to face the trio, but her eyes were only on Ogron, “How long do you think you can keep him from taking complete control over you?”

“Not long,” Ogron sighed, shoulders slumping. “He’s stronger, and we were weakened badly when we were frozen in Omega. A couple of weeks, maybe? Providing we ration our energy.”

“Do that for as long as you can,” Cloe said, stepping up to lay her hand over Ogron’s cheek. “Because I’m coming for you, Ogron, and I’m bringing back where you belong.”

The two stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment, before Ogron gently reached up to caress Cloe’s own cheek, “Hurry, love. Typhon’s moving fast, and there isn’t much time.”

It was in that moment, the dream flickered around them, before fading into nothing, and Cloe found herself freefalling into a void of dreamless sleep.

* * *

“Duman,” Cloe crossed her arms, as the back door to the bar slammed shut, and the shapeshifter stepped out. The young man startled, and whirled around to face her, “Typhon has my husband and his friends under his spell.”

Duman froze, eyes wide, “… huh?”

“Your father has been taken out, supposedly,” Cloe stepped from the shadows. “And your mother may or may not be working with Typhon, to come after your sister.”

That seemed to sap any shock out of Duman, as his expression morphed into rage, “She _what_. Oh, of _course_ she’d stoop that low just to get rid of Nyx!”

“And I know you’ll do everything you can, to keep Nyx safe,” Cloe stepped closer. “Even if it means breaking a few laws.”

“And you wouldn’t, for Stella?” Duman lifted his chin, eyes narrowing.

Cloe’s lips curled into a wicked smirk, “Who’s to say I haven’t? Countess Cassandra and her daughter Chimera won’t be forgetting the visit I paid them anytime soon.”

“So why are you here?”

“I told you—Typhon has my husband and his friends spelled to do his bidding. I want to free them,”

“And?” Duman challenged, raising an eyebrow.

“And I want to help _you_ bring down a few tyrants,” Cloe grinned, showing teeth. “And if you get back your rightful spot as Merula’s next king in the process, well, that’s just a bonus, isn’t it?”

Duman grinned back at her, and laughed, the sound more animal than man, “Oh, Cloe. I _do_ so enjoy being friends with you. So, what do you want to know?”

 _Some days, Cloe really enjoyed being a powerful witch_ , because that meant she could strike fear into the hearts of those who deserved it.


End file.
